


Money And Thneeds Both Grow On Trees

by ettical



Category: The Lorax (2012)
Genre: Also I Just Wanted To Write The Once-ler Before Things Went To Shit, Canon Compliant, Dysfunctional Family, Family Issues, Gen, In 2020 No Less, Interviews, Light Angst, Not Another Once-Ler Fic, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Indulgent
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-13
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:22:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25886512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ettical/pseuds/ettical
Summary: The Once-ler may have broken the promise, but he wasn't doing anything bad yet. Right?It was just a few trees and he was going to get rich from them. He was no longer a nobody from nowhere, he was a budding businessman selling his product and making it in any way necessary.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 18





	Money And Thneeds Both Grow On Trees

**Author's Note:**

> ayy i couldnt resist so i wrote more lorax fic

When his family had chopped down the very first trees, it seemed like everything was still under control.

Sure, the Lorax had called him out on breaking his promise but did it really matter in the end? He was going to change the world with his creation and a few trees was a fair price to pay for something this revolutionary. The trees would regrow by the time he became successful, so no harm would be done.

He hummed a short tune before putting down his pencil and picking up the knitting needles. If he was going to sell Thneeds, he'd have to start working on them as soon as possible, lest the townspeople grow bored and forget him entirely. 

It would have been easier if his family was able to help, but none of them could knit as well as he could. He'd seen his aunt knit a few times, but she had never knitted anything that was more complicated than a scarf, and he'd seen her screw even that up. The Once-ler didn't want to waste any time trying to teach them either as his brothers would merely mess up the precious Truffula tufts and his mother wouldn't even try to do anything.

He already had a decent-sized pile of tufts ready to be knitted, so he got to work. The pink fluff flowed through his fingers as he worked, turning it into the shape of a Thneed. The very first time he had done it, it took a lot of time, most of it going to counting the exact number of stitches he'd need or to comparing it with the blueprints. After some practice though, it was much faster and he had managed to knit multiple Thneeds in a single evening.

He knew it wouldn't be enough for the people waiting for the produce, so he'd have to use the money he earned to either hire someone to knit his creations or to buy parts for a machine that would do the same job. The plans for the factory and the machines in it had already been drawn, but implementing them would take a bit of time as he'd have to adjust them until everything was perfect. There was no way he was going to release a shoddily made product to the world.

The days went by in a slow crawl.

Every now and then, the Lorax would try to sneak in and berate him for his actions, but the Once-ler merely kicked him out every time he got in. The visits had become rarer, but every now and then the orange annoyance would grace his doorstep with his presence.

The knitting machine was coming along nicely and by his estimates, it would take a couple of weeks or so to get it up and running at full speed. It was a good way to use the leftover wood from the trees he had chopped down. He had planned to sell the material to a nearby company specializing in furniture, but at the moment, making the production automated was a more serious issue.

He'd switch to some alternative fuel as soon as he got enough money to be able to buy it in large quantities. The bigger problem was turning out to be the waste and where to direct it to, as the machinery created a lot of unneeded smog and glup.

The Once-ler rubbed his eyes as he completed yet another Thneed and threw the object carelessly into a pile with the others. His hands were beginning to hurt from the constant work and some callouses were starting to form on his palms and fingers. 

It was getting harder to keep up with the customers, so he worked as much as he could, even going as far as cutting his sleep shorter. His undereyes were taking on a slightly purplish hue and it seemed that he no longer had time to even strum his beloved (albeit broken) guitar. The only things he worked on besides the Thneeds were blueprints, machines. and laws. 

The laws and regulations were complicated and he needed some help with them. Luckily, his uncle and aunt were kind enough to explain some things to him, despite the sneers he got every time he didn't quite understand something. He'd have to get some books on the subject soon, partly to get more knowledgeable and partly to stop disappointing his family.

He adored the support he got from them, even though it seemed fake at times, but he pushed the feelings of wrongness down and tried to settle what he got. He could be better, he could be successful and he was already on the path.

The Once-ler put down his knitting needles after finishing the last Thneed of the day and instead moved to his desk. He took out today's earnings and began to count them, the crisp green paper crinkling under his fingers. 

This was the thing he had always desired - money. In his younger years, there had never been enough of it, not for him nor his brothers. Only later on did the situation get better, but the desire for more money hadn't been quenched. He could be the one providing for his family, he could live in luxury and never have to worry about the money ending. It felt good to have money in his hands, to finally be able to do what he wanted with it.

There was going to be an interview with a TV station in a week and for that, he was going to need new clothing. There was no way he was going to wear an ill-fitting shirt and vest combo with his old striped pants. He had placed an order for simple dress pants and a crisp white shirt, both perfectly tailored to fit his body. He had also chosen suspenders and a bowtie to go with the outfit and bring a splash of color to an otherwise boring outfit.

Both the suspenders and the bowtie were supposed to be a rich, emerald green tone. The Once-ler had always admired the color, not only because it was close to the color of money, but because it simply felt powerful. It made him feel like a successful businessman. 

The first time the Lorax had seen him wearing the color, the guardian had looked sad and had called it the color of greed. The creature was quickly driven away by a biting snarl from the human's mouth and a slammed door in his face. 

Despite it clearly being an insult, being called out for being greedy somehow felt right, in a strange way. The Once-ler was greedy and he liked being accused of it, because it was true. He didn't quite have enough money for it nor did he outwardly express it, but he felt it, greed curling on his lap like a pet, slowly growing hungrier.

On the day of the interview, he shrugged on the clothes and put on a new pair of shoes. After tying the bowtie around his neck, he admired himself in the mirror. Despite always having an impressive stature, this was perhaps the first time it looked intimidating instead of gangly and awkward. He didn't look like a boy anymore, instead, there was a confident and powerful looking man staring back in the mirror. His usually expressive and open blue eyes had seemingly turned colder, but he didn't mind his now steely gaze. He contemplated on whether to wear his hat or not but decided against it, even though he felt naked without it.

He had been slightly nervous to be talking about himself and his invention, but to his surprise, everything had gone well. The young man had even been called charming and confident by the interviewer. He had never thought that someone would use those adjectives to describe him. 

His annoying wild gesticulating was found interesting and pleasantly expressive and he'd even gotten a compliment for his outfit from another person on the set. The only downside to the interview had been the cold temperature, but it was nothing a proper suit jacket and a pair of gloves couldn't fix.

A large patch of trees had already been cut down and on the clearing atop a hill, a small group of workmen was working on clearing the stumps from the ground. The Once-ler had chosen that place to build his factory and already the first preparations had begun. The first prototype of the Thneed knitter was farther away, but as soon as the piping, electricity, and fuel lines were implemented, he'd move it to the construction site.

He was doing fine, no matter what his gut feeling and slightly sleep-deprived body were telling him. Business was booming and Thneeds were selling like hotcakes. There was nothing to stop him now.


End file.
